Chesapeake Republic of Maryland
Maryland, officially the Chesapeake Republic of Maryland, was a sovereign state in North America that existed from 1801 to 1860. It was bordered by the Republican Union to the north and east and Virginia to the south and west. Its independence was nullified in 1860 upon incorporation into the Republican Union during the North American War. History Colonial Maryland (1632-1775) The colony of Maryland was created on 20 June, 1632, upon the granting of a colonial charter to Cecilius Calvert, 2nd Baron Baltimore by King Charles I of England. It was named after Henrietta Maria, the queen consort. Maryland was one of the first colonies to explicitly tolerate other forms of Christianity, such as Protestants, in 1649. American Revolution (1775-1783) At first, Maryland largely did not favor separation from Great Britain, and acted accordingly in the Second Continental Congress. On 3 July, 1776, the colonial government resolved to call a convention to create a state constitution, one that did not refer to the King or Parliament, but "...the people only." On 1 March, 1781, the state ratified the Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union after three and a half years of stalling in order to get the larger states to cede their western land claims to the Federal Government. Independence During the Dissolution of the United States, Maryland was originally going to be stay with the Union, an outcome highly desired by the New England states due to its strategic position and ports. While Emergency Governor Samuel Chase was planning to send a delegation to Willard Crawford's new Constitutional Convention, Maryland backed out at the last second due to the RU Invasion of Rhode Island. On 10 September 1801 Governor Chase proclaimed the Chesapeake Republic of Maryland as an independent state and he was swiftly elected the country's first President. Role in the North American War (1858-1860) Maryland originally appeared to be one of the first targets for RU Invasion upon the outbreak of the North American War in 1858, however the RU High Command was not interested in a drawn-out and resource-wasting siege that would certainly come with capturing Baltimore, and instead it was given an ultimatum to stay neutral. Francis Thomas, President of Maryland, was terrified that Maryland would be wiped off the map if it rejected, and thus acquiesced to the demands. This action severely hampered the usually cordial Virginia-Maryland relations and gave Thomas the epithet "Lincoln's Lapdog". This action did not, however, stop many Marylanders from volunteering to fight in the Virginian Armed Forces. Despite this tense peace, many parts of Maryland ended up deserted as many people, fearful of Union invasion, fled for the putative safety of the cities. On 24 January 1860, the Republican Union, motivated after successes elsewhere and frustrated at Marylander "volunteers" and blockade runners hampering the war effort, declared war on Maryland. The Yankees burned down most towns they came across, and on 3 July 1860 the government was captured and the Cheseapeake Republic of Maryland was formally dissolved, though the last holdouts in Annapolis would not surrender until September. The country was incorporated into the Republican Union as the State of Burrland (renamed due to Yankee dislike of Maryland's namesake). Government Maryland was a democratic presidential republic with a constitution highly similar to Virginia's. The capital was Annapolis, and executive power was vested in the President of Maryland.